Flossing Won’t Kill Bacteria

Posted by Dr Kim Nguyen on August 16th, 2019

It's always been drummed in our minds that flossing every day removes food particles, debris and even plaque that brushing can't reach. Aside from that, it can also help avoid bad breath. Flossing has other advantages such as heart disease prevention, dry mouth prevention which in the end helps you save your money.

Traditionally, we have been taught to use a thin-waxy string to remove food particles stuck in your teeth, yes, it really does the job.

Nonetheless, there are bacteria that can be found embedded deep under your gums that flossing cannot remove. Also, simple sugars and carbohydrates help in nourishing the bacteria in our mouths, with this being said, you really don't have to worry if excess candies, sodas, high fructose corn syrups and bacteria would thrive in your mouth. It's actually the build-up of pathogenic (bad) bacteria in your mouth that leads to gum disease, cavities and root canals and it can also be seen as a risk factor for diseases throughout your entire body.

So to properly maintain and have good oral health and hygiene you need to remove these pathogenic bacteria from your mouth and sadly, floss doesn't do much good.

These pathogenic bacteria grow and multiply in the pockets under our gums, which is the space between your gums and tooth. Not everyone is aware that these pockets are present but it's the years of plaque build-up that have caused our gum lines to pull away from our teeth which eventually form these spaces. It's really very alarming to know that these spaces or pockets are the perfect breeding ground for pathogenic (anaerobic) bacteria to grow and multiply since it's a warm, nutrient-rich environment that is without oxygen.

These pathogenic bacteria are the ones that could seriously cause damage to our body both physically and orally if left unchecked. Needless to say that if these pathogenic bacteria multiply rapidly out of control it could enter our bloodstream and be transported through the body and cause inflammation. Chronic inflammation of any source leads to chronic disease. Also, if you do not take proper care of your teeth it may lead to a wide range of serious medical issues such as heart disease, diabetes, preterm birth delivery, Alzheimer's and some inflammatory cancers like breast and pancreatic cancer.

So in order to remove these bacteria from your teeth pockets and prevent this infection, you need to find out if these bacteria are present. If they are, you have an infection and these germs on your teeth and under your gums will form a thin layer of film. Sad to say that this thin-layer of bacteria cannot be broken up with anti-microbial or even the best home care. You must see a trained dentist to cure this thin-film and hidden infection.

But once it's cured you must maintain a good and healthy oral hygiene to make sure that the bacteria are kept in check. Don't think for a minute that flossing is the answer; don't bet your hopes up on a piece of string that can't even reach the bottom of the pocket where infection thrives. For these, an advanced tool such as an oral irrigator is needed to flush out the bottom of the pocket.

So daily preventive care is often needed including brushing thoroughly twice a day, eating a balanced diet and limiting snacks between meals, using dental products that contain fluorides, like toothpaste and of course regular visits to your Canberra dentist for every six months, this will help stop problems before they develop and is much less painful, expensive and troublesome than treating conditions that have been allowed to progress.

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Dr Kim Nguyen

About the Author

Dr Kim Nguyen
Joined: August 16th, 2019
Articles Posted: 1